Fight Night Shanghai Scorecard
Michael Bisping, the topic of him moving from middleweight back to welterweight came up, and he admitted that while he still had some unfinished business at 170 pounds, he knew that the more that he kept winning at 185, odds were that he would stay in his current division. Well, knocking out the former middleweight champ in less than a round is a pretty good indication that Gastelum’s title run will come at 185, and if he has his way, that shot at the belt will take place early next year against interim titleholder Robert Whittaker. It’s impossible not to like that fight, and if “The Reaper” needs a dance partner, why not Gastelum, who looks like he can hang with – and potentially beat – anyone in the weight class.
2 – Li Jingliang
RELATED: Shanghai Fantasy Rewind | Gastelum Calls Out Whittaker
3 – Zabit Magomedsharipov
Mike Santiago and Sheymon Moraes, if Zabit Magomedsharipov isn’t on your short list of favorite new UFC fighters, why the heck not? That’s it. Simple question. Because I can’t see how anyone can watch the dynamic Dagestan native do his thing on the feet and the mat on fight night and not just say, ‘Ah, so that’s what MMA is all about.’ Magomedsharipov is fun to watch, he’s seemingly fearless out there in terms of his willingness to try anything to get the win, and he’s always looking to finish. I’d put him in with anyone in the featherweight division right now, and while he may not beat everybody, I’d give him a damn good shot at doing it, and oh what fights they would be.
4 – Alex Garcia
Ben Wall in 2013, we’ve only seen glimpses of that potential. Saturday’s win over highly regarded newcomer Muslim Salikhov may have been a turning point for “The Dominican Nightmare,” though. Sticking to a rock solid game plan, Garcia dominated Salikhov before finishing the bout via second-round submission, and if he can keep this momentum going, he’s going to be a threat at 170 pounds.
5 – Song Yadong
On the Rise: UFC 218 Edition
While a spot on the list of contenders is still a couple victories away, a win for Reyes here could further expedite his rise up the rankings. A two-time all-conference defensive back at Stony Brook University, he has the size and athleticism to potentially be a force in the cage and if he can up his winning streak to eight, Reyes should get a good, long look against some established competition in early 2018.
After agreeing to face Marcin Tybura on short notice at UFC 208 only to have the bout scratched due to medical issues on the eve of the fight, “Big Pretty” finally made his Octagon debut in July, venturing to Glasgow to collect a unanimous decision win over James Mulheron.
Now the 30-year-old American Kickboxing Academy representative looks to make it two straight in the UFC as he takes on Allen Crowder.
Like Reyes, Willis played college football before transitioning to mixed martial arts, manning the defensive line at San Jose State University. A big man (even for heavyweight) with surprising mobility and quickness, the 5-1 sophomore showed flashes of potential in his win over Mulheron and has the potential to make great strides between appearances given that he’s getting training reps alongside the likes of light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier, Luke Rockhold and former heavyweight kingpin Cain Velasquez in San Jose.
The bottom half of the heavyweight division is in a perpetual state of flux and a couple strong showings is all it takes to climb into the Top 15 and earn a chance to make a significant impact. Willis got started down that path with his victory in Glasgow and if he can follow it up with a second win here, he could be in line for a promotion in the not too distant future.
There is nothing in particular that stands out about Crowder’s game, but I don’t say that as a slight; he’s a high-motor grinder that is going to take his lumps and keep coming forward, never letting off the gas. It has carried him to the biggest stage in the sport and could very well carry him into the Top 15 in the next year or two as well.
Fight Night Shanghai Fantasy Rewind
Bisping stayed calm and composed as he attempted to fire back with his counter shots while using his reach advantage against Gastelum, but he just never found a home for his best punches.
Ultimately, it was Gastelum’s speed and head movement that ducked Bisping’s last attempt to land a shot and that’s when the former Ultimate Fighter winner unleashed a right hand followed by a left hook that absolutely demolished the 38-year old veteran from England.
Bisping crumbled to the mat as referee Marc Goddard rushed into stop the fight and Gastelum picked up the biggest win of his career against a former UFC champion.
Heading into Saturday’s card, Gastelum was a solid favorite according to selections made by fantasy players, with 60 percent predicting his victory and another 73 percent correctly calling his knockout against Bisping.
In the co-main event, local favorite Li Jingliang made short work of Zak Ottow to lock up his fourth straight win while getting the crowd in China on their feet with his handiwork. Li was definitely a heavy favorite going into the fight, with 70 percent of fantasy players picking him to beat Ottow in the welterweight matchup.
RELATED: Shanghai Main Event Report | Jingliang Octagon Interview | Prelim Results
Newcomer Wang Guan will have plenty of attention the next time he fights after he dismantled Alex Caceres over three rounds to earn a victory on Saturday despite only 21 percent of fantasy players picking him to win. Wang also earned the players who picked him an extra 40 points because it was his first fight in the UFC.
Alex Garcia earned arguably the biggest win of his UFC career with a rear naked choke finish over highly touted prospect Muslim Salikhov in the opening fight of the main card. Garcia was selected by 68 percent of fantasy players while going up against knockout artist Salikhov, who starts off his UFC career on a loss.
On the preliminary card, Zabit Magomedsharipov put on another stellar performance as he submitted Sheymon Moraes with a third-round anaconda choke to move to 2-0 in the UFC. The Russian fighter who trains with the likes of Frankie Edgar and Edson Barboza was selected by 77 percent of fantasy players going into Saturday, as he looked outstanding yet again.
In one of the biggest upsets on the entire card, Song Kenan needed just 15 seconds to put away Bobby Nash by knockout in the first round with only 19 percent of fantasy players picking him to win. The players who selected Song will also enjoy an extra 40-point bonus, as this was his UFC debut.
Another upset took place in the women’s strawweight division as newcomer Yan Xiaonan defeated Kailan Curran by decision with only 27 percent of fantasy players picking her in the fight. Yan’s win also accounted for an extra 40 points for her debut and then another 120 points because this was a tight matchup on paper going into Saturday’s card.
19-year-old fighter Song Yadong made quite an impression in his debut with a first-round submission over Bharat Kandare, with 54 percent of fantasy players picking him to win. Much like Yan, Song earned an extra 40 points for his debut and then another 120 points because it was a tight matchup.
In the heavyweight division, Shamil Abdurakhimov returned from a long layoff and quickly finished Chase Sherman with a first-round knockout despite only 29 percent of fantasy players picking him to win. Abdurakhimov also earned those players an additional 120 points because it was also a tight matchup going into Saturday’s event.
Following a loss her UFC debut, Gina Mazany bounced back with a unanimous decision win against Wu Yanan with 78 percent of fantasy players correctly predicting her win, while Rolando Dy also earned a win against Wuliji Buren by decision after 67 percent of fantasy players picked him on the card as well.
Gastelum stops Bisping early in Shanghai
Read on for UFC Shanghai main event results…
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping rolled the dice by taking a fight with rising star Kelvin Gastelum just three weeks after losing his belt to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217. And while it was a gutsy move by the Brit, it was Gastelum who left the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai with the win, as he halted Bisping in the first round of their UFC Fight Night main event.
OHHHHHH MYYYYYYY!!!!!!@KelvinGastelum FLATTENS Bisping in round 1!!! #UFCShanghai https://t.co/v7Pyjv0z20 pic.twitter.com/nlk4Nafu1c
— UFC (@ufc) November 25, 2017
“This is the biggest win of my career,” Gastelum said. “I have a huge amount of respect for Bisping for stepping up and I’m thankful.”
Bisping replaced Anderson Silva, who was pulled from the bout due to a potential Anti-Doping Policy violation earlier this month.
Gastelum started fast, but as the round progressed, Bisping appeared to be getting into his rhythm. Yet as “The Count” got more comfortable, he got a little greedy and missed with a long right hand. Gastelum didn’t hesitate to counter, with a right hand followed by a thudding left that put Bisping on the deck. The follow-up shots were mere window dressing, as referee Marc Goddard stepped in to stop the fight at the 2:30 mark.
“That’s something we trained a lot,” Gastelum said of the final combination.
“I was enjoying myself,” a gracious Bisping said. “He caught me with a good shot; I’ve been doing this for a long time, I’m getting old.”
With the win, the No. 9-ranked Gastelum moves to 15-3 with 1 NC. The No. 2-ranked Bisping, 38, who is expected to fight his final fight in London in March, falls to 31-9.
Li Jingliang electrifies crowd with 1st round TKO
Read on for UFC Shanghai main card results…
Fighting at home in Mainland China for the first time since 2009, Beijing welterweight Li Jingliang thrilled his fans at Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, stopping Zak Ottow in the first round of their UFC Fight Night co-main event.
Ottow had some success early as he switched stances and peppered Li, but “The Leech” stayed the course, and after momentarily jarring Ottow with a left hook, a right hand followed that put the Milwaukee product on the deck. Li followed up with a barrage of ground strikes, and while Ottow tried to recover, it was to no avail, as the series of unanswered blows brought in referee Herb Dean to halt the bout at 2:57 of the opening round.
Li moves to 14-4 with the win. Ottow falls to 15-5.
THE LEECH!!!@UFCJingliang stops Ottow in round 1 then RUNS TO HIS DAUGHTER IN THE CROWD!!
What a moment!!https://t.co/v7Pyjv0z20 pic.twitter.com/JTt4a9hRmP
— UFC (@ufc) November 25, 2017
WANG vs CACERES
Xi’an’s Wang Guan made a successful entrance into the UFC in featherweight action, using an accurate striking attack to win a three-round split decision over Alex Caceres.
Wang (20-1-1) showed his power early with an elbow that rattled the Floridian, and while Caceres rallied in the second half of the round, a left hand from Wang hurt and dropped Caceres, with only the horn saving “Bruce Leeroy” from a stoppage defeat.
Still wobbly as round two began, Caceres (13-11, 1 NC) stayed busy and tried to get his legs back, but Wang was still jarring him when he was able to land upstairs. By the midway point of the stanza, Caceres appeared to be back in business, and his activity rate kept him ahead of Wang, who was looking for one shot. Occasionally Wang would land that shot, but with no follow-up, Caceres stayed in the fight.
The bombs kept coming from Wang in the final round, and the wear began to show on Caceres’ face. The gutsy veteran didn’t stop fighting, though, and while he finished strong, it wasn’t enough to take the final decision, which went to Wang by scores of 29-28 twice and 28-29,
GARCIA vs SALIKHOV
Welterweight veteran Alex Garcia scored the biggest win of his UFC career, spoiling the Octagon debut of highly regarded Muslim Salikhov via second-round submission.
Garcia shot for a takedown early and got it, nullifying Salikhov’s striking attack almost immediately. After a spell on the mat, Salikhov scrambled his way out of trouble and back to his feet, and then the kicks started coming. A second takedown attempt by Garcia came up empty, but number three hit paydirt with under 30 seconds left.
After some tactical standup to kick off round two, Garcia got the fight down to the mat again, and this time, he smoothly took Salikhov’s back and ended matters, sinking in the rear naked choke that forced a tap out at 3:22 of the second stanza.
With the win, the Dominican Republic’s Garcia moves to 15-4. Dagestan’s Salikhov falls to 12-2.
Magomedsharipov, Kenan get finishes on prelims
Read on for UFC Shanghai prelim results…
Hot featherweight prospect Zabit Magomedsharipov may very well be the hottest prospect in the entire UFC after he scored another impressive finish, this one a third-round submission of Octagon newcomer Sheymon Moraes in UFC Shanghai prelim action at Mercedes Benz Arena.
Magomedsharipov (14-1) picked up where he left off in his debut against Mike Santiago, showing off all aspects of his MMA game, from effective striking from distance to throws and ground-and-pound. Moraes (9-2) wasn’t out of the fight by any means, as he defended well on the mat and got in some kicks on the feet, but it was a clear round for Magomedsharipov.
The fast, entertaining pace continued into round two, with Magomedsharipov throwing Moraes to the mat, only to get mounted and nearly caught in a triangle choke. Magomedsharipov easily got out of danger, and after scrambling and taking Moraes’ back and then getting the mount, he began delivering thudding ground strikes. Moraes’ kept working his way out of trouble, only to find himself in more of it as the round progressed, locking up another frame for Magomedsharipov.
Despite being up two rounds, Magomedsharipov continued to press for the finish, and in the closing minute, he got it over the tough Brazilian, forcing a tap via anaconda choke at 4:30 of the third and final round.
SONG vs NASH
Beijing’s Song Kenan made a memorable debut, picking up the fifth fastest knockout in UFC welterweight history as he finished Bobby Nash in 15 seconds.
After an inadvertent low kick by Song brought a brief halt to the bout as it began, an overhand right by Song put Nash on the canvas. Song went on the attack with several follow-up blows and referee Herb Dean had seen enough, halting the bout at the 15-second mark.
Song moves to 13-4 with the win. Detroit’s Nash falls to 8-4.
YAN vs CURRAN
Chinese strawweight newcomer Yan Xiaonan impressed in Octagon debut, showing off solid striking in winning a three-round unanimous decision over Kailin Curran.
Yan blitzed Curran with kicks and punches as soon as the fight began, dropping her foe to a knee with a right hand before 30 seconds were gone. After surviving the initial assault, Curran cleared her head and worked her clinch game against the fence for a spell before the two separated. Curran subsequently looked for takedowns, but Yan stayed upright and was able to get in more hard strikes when the two were at distance.
Yan’s success at distance continued in round two, but this time Curran was able to get her takedown. Yan got up quickly, but Curran kept her foe locked up against the fence for a bit before the Beijing product got loose and went back to her striking attack. With two minutes left, a right by Yan jarred Curran again, but the Hawaiian shook it off and kept doing good work in the clinch.
Told by her corner that she needed to get a finish in the final round, Curran chased after it in the third, getting a takedown with just over three minutes left. Yan smartly looked to force a restart, and while she didn’t get it, she did jump up with a minute remaining, much to the delight of the crowd. And while Yan got her mouth bloodied in the closing seconds, a final barrage of shots cemented her win by scores of 30-27 and 29-28 twice.
With the win, Yan improves to 8-1 with 1 NC; Curran falls to 4-6.
SONG vs KANDARE
Coming in on short notice to replace countryman Liu Pingyuan, Heilongjiang’s Song Yadong put on a show for fans in China, submitting Bharat Kandare in the first round.
Showing remarkable poise for someone just 19 years old, the youngest fighter on the current UFC roster patiently stalked Kandare, eating some sharp jabs along the way but still controlling the action. With a minute left, Song found his opening, drilling and dropping Kandare with a right hand. As the Mumbai product tried to scramble out of trouble, Song caught him in a front choke that produced a tap at 4:16 of round one.
With the win, Song moves to 10-2 with 2 NC. Kandare, the first native of India to compete in the Octagon, falls to 5-3.
ABDURAKHIMOV vs SHERMAN
Veteran heavyweight Shamil Abdurakhimov put a quick end to Chase Sherman’s two-fight winning streak, knocking out his opponent in 84 seconds.
Looking like a different fighter than the one who fought Derrick Lewis 11 months ago, Abdurakhimov stood in the pocket with Sherman from the start. And while he took a punch that opened a small cut, a right hand caught the Mississippi native flush and spun him around, a left hook followed, putting Sherman on the deck and bringing in referee Steve Perceval to halt the fight at 1:24 of the opening frame.
With the win, Dagestan’s Abdurakhimov improves to 18-4; Sherman falls to 11-4.
MAZANY vs WU
Bantamweight prospect Gina Mazany earned her first UFC win against Xi’an’s Wu Yanan, taking a shutout three-round unanimous decision.
Mazany (5-1) swarmed Wu at the start, landing a couple hard shots before clinching with her foe. Wu got in a counter of her own, opening a cut over Mazany’s left eye, and with three minutes left, she put the Las Vegan on the mat briefly before the two separated and reset. Soon the two were back to the fence and with just over two minutes left, Mazany got the fight to the ground and began firing away with strikes. Wu nearly caught her opponent in an armbar, and in the ensuing scramble she got upright for a moment before the two hit the mat again. When they rose, it was Wu in control against the fence, and they stayed there until the horn.
Wu (9-2) took a left kick to the face to open round two, but she walked through it and bulled Mazany into the fence. Mazany fought through several fence grabs by Wu to score a pair of takedowns, and a barrage of strikes followed. Wu got upright with under two minutes to go, but Mazany kept the pressure on against the fence. In the closing seconds, referee Marc Goddard gave Wu a strong warning for fence grabbing, and to make matters worse, Wu appeared to hurt her shoulder just before the horn sounded.
Still going strong entering the third frame, Mazany continued to press the action on the mat, and while Wu tried to look for a submission from her back, it was “Danger” who stayed in control and wrapped up the win by three scores of 30-27.
DY vs BUREN
The Philippines’ Rolando Dy picked up his first UFC victory in featherweight action, holding off a solid effort from Beijing newcomer Wuliji Buren to take a three-round unanimous decision.
Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for Dy, now 9-6-1 with 1 NC. Buren falls to 10-5.
Things didn’t get off to a great start for Buren, who was dropped by a left hook 30 seconds into the bout, but he rebounded nicely with a pair of takedowns that got Dy’s attention. The second round was even closer as the two battled on the feet and mat, but in the third, Dy was able to stay a step ahead on his foe and secure the victory.
Dy missed weight for the bout, coming in at 148 pounds.
ASKER vs HU
Heavyweight Cyril Asker went into the second round for the first time in four UFC outings and it resulted in one of his best performances, as he submitted late notice newcomer Hu Yaozong in the opener
Outside of a guillotine attempt by Hu, the first round was all Asker, as he dominated on the ground with a smothering grappling attack aided by several hard strikes.
Hu opened the second with some solid kicks, but soon he was back on the mat against the fence, and this time, Hu closed the show, using his striking to take his foe’s back and sink in the rear naked choke that produced a tap out at 2:33 of round two.
With the win, France’s Asker ups his record to 9-3. Beijing’s Hu, who replaced James Mulheron, falls to 3-1.
Kandare bringing persistent attitude into Octagon
“I congratulate Arjan on his UFC debut,” he said. “He has worked hard to get into the UFC like any other fighter. It’s certainly a proud moment for us to have a fighter of Indian descent in the premier league of MMA.”
On Saturday, Kandare, also a pro fighter from Mumbai with a 5-2 record, makes history of his own as he becomes the first native of India to fight in the UFC. And when he faces fellow debutant Song Yadong in Shanghai, it may be even more important for a sport that’s still growing in India.
“UFC has a niche following in India,” Kandare said. “With an Indian fighting in the UFC, the viewership will only grow, so it’s beneficial for the UFC and the youngsters of India. Youngsters who train in MMA can now look at this as a career option. And the younger generation that look at smoking and drinking will divert their aggression towards boxing and MMA and possibly do good for themselves.”
Being the representative of a nation with that much on the line is a lot to deal with when there’s someone across the Octagon trying to punch you in the face, but fighters like the 30-year-old Kandare are born with the desire and courage to handle it. So after he felt like his time in wrestling had come to an end, the Bhagur native moved on to fighting.
“My background is in wrestling,” he said. “However, due to politics in sports, my career didn’t progress in wrestling. I pursued boxing and eventually learned about MMA. Looking at my career, I hope other wrestlers take up MMA, as it’s the fastest growing sport.”
It sounds like a simple transition, but it’s not especially when you’re one of a handful of hopefuls competing in a sport that is far removed from the more popular ones at home. Add in those quizzical looks and comments from family, and that’s two strikes before you even step up to the plate.
“My family supports me,” Kandare said. “They used to not support me as they felt this doesn’t have a future. But now that’s put to rest.”
That’s a good thing. But if they need a reminder that he’s on the right track, they’ll just need to look when Kandare makes his walk in an arena filled with fans while countless others around the world watch the event. That’s going to be a moment he’ll never forget, but he insists it won’t deter him from the job at hand.
“I am obviously very happy,” he said of his UFC debut. “But on fight night I will have to keep my emotions aside and focus on winning my first fight in the UFC.”
And that focus won’t change. It’s what got him here in the first place.
“I am very persistent in life,” Kandare said. “I didn’t have much as a kid from a small town; I had to earn it all by myself. I used to do a day job and train at night. This work ethic and hard work reflects in my ‘never say die’ attitude inside the cage.”
Bisping views short-notice bout as „a gift from the gods“
Michael Bisping still doesn’t understand what all the commotion is about. To him, taking a fight in Shanghai against Kelvin Gastelum just three weeks after he headlined UFC 217 against Georges St-Pierre in New York City is no big deal.
“I can’t see why I wouldn’t do it,” he said. “Yeah, I was bummed out after losing to GSP and this gives me a chance to get right back in there, hopefully get back in the win column and obviously I get paid again. I’m close to the end of my career so I get to fight again without going through a two-month long arduous training camp.”
You would assume that this is just business as usual for a fighter, but if you’ve been around any combat sport for any length of time, you know it’s not. People like Bisping would have fit in well in the 40s or 50s in boxing or in the formative years of mixed martial arts in the early 90s. Today, he’s a unicorn. But the way he’s always approached his career is that fighters fight. And Michael Bisping is a fighter, so it really shouldn’t have been a surprise when his name showed up as the one replacing Anderson Silva on short notice.
But it was, simply because it’s hard to think of anyone else who would. That’s a badge of honor he takes seriously, and it goes back to his early days in the fight business, where the goal wasn’t to get his own action figure or get a spot in a video game. He wanted to make a life for his family. Fighting was a job and he was good at it, and when I spoke to him in the locker room after he won season three of The Ultimate Fighter, he was ecstatic. Not that he had a new trophy, but that he had a steady paycheck from there on out. So when I asked him if he ever thought about having a Hall of Fame-worthy career at that moment in Las Vegas in 2006, he admits that it was never about that.
“Of course I was ambitious, and you want to be as successful as you can,” Bisping said. “But I don’t think so. I was happy to be there and happy to not be working those dead-end jobs. I felt like I was finally using me to the potential that I was capable of. And that just made me happy. I always thought I was destined for more than working in dead end factory jobs for minimum wage. I was happy that I was able to make a good living for my family, and I was always pushing on. That’s all I’ve ever been doing – just trying to look after my family. I’m trying to take care of my kids the best way I can, and that’s using my fists.”
RELATED: Watch Shanghai On FIGHT PASS exclusively! | Free Fight – Bisping vs Le | Gastelum Looking For A Finish
Jim Miller for most fights in UFC history (28), and he’s a former world champion and TUF winner. In 2016, he had one of the great years ever seen in the UFC, as he defeated Silva, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson in succession. And while nothing lasts forever, you would assume that the talk of Bisping retiring would have the Brit a little annoyed.
But he’s not.
“I guess I started that talk,” he said. “I’m pushing 40, so it’s getting up there and it’s time to do something else in my life. I’m gonna do this one and then I’m gonna do one more in London in March, and then I’ll call it quits. That was gonna be my plan anyway, but this came out of the blue. It’s like a gift from the Gods to me, to be honest. So it (retirement talk) doesn’t bother me at all.”
Is this a kinder, gentler Michael Bisping? Could be. And even if it isn’t, “The Count” has become more and more respected and admired by fans as he comes to the final stages of his career. Who would have seen that coming?
“Over the years I’ve had my fair share of hatred, if you will, but I’ve acted like a jackass and I’ve said things I regret,” he said. “But I’ve grown up over the years. I had a lot of support after the GSP fight and taking this fight I’ve had a tremendous amount of support, I really have, and that’s beautiful. I just hope I don’t continue to put my foot in my mouth the more interviews I do, because that’s typical Michael Bisping. (Laughs) But yeah, it’s nice, it really is.”
He doesn’t even have any trash to talk about Gastelum, a fighter on the rise who Bisping is taking very seriously.
Fight Night Shanghai: Official Weigh-in Results
Eight prelim bouts will air live on FIGHT PASS on FS1 starting 3:45am/12:45am ETPT.
Five Round Main Event
Michael Bisping (186) vs. Kelvin Gastelum (186)
Kelvin Gastelum’s Thanksgiving Message
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„I’m thankful for my family.“
Ahead of his main event slot at #UFCShanghai, @KGastelum is thankful for a lot. #HappyThanksgiving pic.twitter.com/Wr5v3BWZZQ
— UFC (@ufc) November 23, 2017
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